La Cavale, guest from Provence
This beautiful contemporary winery, designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte and built by the Compagnons du Devoir (a traditional French fraternity of craftsmen) with hand-hewn stone from the Luberon, rises at the crossroad between the villages of Vaugines, Cucuron and Lourmarin, where La Cavale’s vineyard extends over forty-two acres.
Planted with vines of Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan and Syrah, the estate offers three different brands or red, white and rosé wines. Vinified under the supervision of technical director Jean-Paul Aubert and consulting oenologist, Alain Graillot, these are : La Petite Cavale, La Cavale and the exceptional Grande Cavale that is produced solely in great vintages.
"Our property is located in the Luberon, which is the heart of Provence in Southern France. The landscapes and vistas are just awesome and in some areas quite breathtaking.
Our winery is in the Natural Park of Luberon so it is extremely well located. Lots of tourists come to visit the region and stop at the winery before or after visiting the typical Provence villages which surround us" (Corinne Conroy)
The questions of "YR" are answered by the , Corinne Conroy
Director of marketing and communication the Domaine La Cavale
1 - Your La Cavale’s vineyard extends over forty-two acres. Is this much or little for Provence?
It is a good size property
2 - You produce six types of wine. Which do you prefer personally?
Personally the Cavale White 2017
3 - What is your favorite wine (red or white)? And why?
I m a great fan of all kinds of wines, red or white…. I love Sauternes/Barsac wines, I love Chateau Leoville-Barton and Château Brane Cantenac in Bordeaux which are red or a great white Burgundy wine…. I cannot answer this question because I love wine in general…. As long as it tastes good, no matter the color. It is cultural!
4 - Your vineyards are located in beautiful places. Have you thought about building your own tourist way.. What will be the length of the route? And what attractions in your area would you recommend to visit?
Our property is located in the Luberon, which is the heart of Provence in Southern France. The landscapes and vistas are just awesome and in some areas quite breathtaking.
Our winery is in the Natural Park of Luberon so it is extremely well located. Lots of tourists come to visit the region and stop at the winery before or after visiting the typical Provence villages which surround us.
5 - Tell me, please, who designed the cellar of La Cavale? And why this project was entrusted to this architect? And why the emblem of your farm became a horse that stood on the rack?
The winery was built by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, a very famous French architect who has designed many cellars and vat rooms such as Cos d’Estournel or Pedesclaux in the Médoc. The owner of La Cavale, Mr Paul DUbrule, is the founder of the 2nd largest hotel group in the world, Accor, therefore he wanted something that would stand out albeit be built with the local materials and stones. He chose one of the best contemporary architects to make a statement. If you do something and can afford choosing a master to realize your project, why not? It makes a better impression. Mr Dubrule chose to name his winery La Cavale because it was the original name of the first house and vineyard he purchased in Cadenet, very close to where we are now. Although he purchased a much bigger château and moved the winery to Cucuron, he kept the same name.
6 - "Each one of our products has been carefully chosen to represent la Provence and particularly le Luberon and its natural riches"... I took this quote from your website. What would you recommend to try?
You can try all the products from Aix Et Terra brand, our olive oil as well which is pressed in a nearby mill. (We have our own olive grove). You can also try the local Pastis which is entirely natural and made of anise, licorice and all the herbs from the park. It is a typical drink from the region and quite famous in Provence. We also sell high end bath products hand made by locals among many other things.
7 - Your Choice for the Yellow Road of white (yellow) wine?*
I am sorry, I don’ t understand this question. Do I have to choose one of our white wines?
8 - You can offer the most spectacular view (favorite point) on vineyards or the surrounding landscape.
Yes we can from our landscaped roof top.
9 - If it's not a secret, what are your plans for the future?
Our plan is to develop the activities on the rooftop, create more events on the terrace and sell many other wines from out of the ordinary wineries. It is one of our big projects to develop the sale of wines coming from contemporary wineries like ours. We want to increase our following and customer base.
10 - Which white wine producer (from Italy or another country) would you recommend for the Yellow Road?**
Why Italy specifically?
The white producer I would recommend is Jean Marie Bourgeois from Sancerre (Loire valley). He makes great wines in the Loire and New Zealand. Otherwise I just love Le Cygne de chateau Fonréaud in the Médoc and Château Coutet in Barsac (Sauternes/France) The growers deserve recognition for their accomplishments.
Sergey Evtuhov, author of the project
(*,**) I am sorry. When I'm worried, I start to confuse Italy with France. Because I'm a novice interviewer...
